Before He Cheats
by one of eddie's girls
Summary: What does Bella do after she catches her boyfriend cheating on her. Inspired by Carrie Underwood's song by the same name. OOC non-cannon coupling. AH Rated M for language and possible future chapters
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the song… I just own the plot bunny that bounced and demanded to be written since the first time I heard the song.

This little ditty was inspired by Carrie Underwood's song by the same name… I suggest listening to it as you read… it will help you see Bella's POV.

Big thank you to PrettyKittyArtist who always takes the time to beta and pretty up my work.

**BPOV**

I sat in the living room just looking at the pictures the detective I'd hired was showing me. Rage about how he could come and lay in our bed every night burned me inside. I couldn't believe the bastard had the nerve to swear he loved me. All the while I was busy working my ass off he was out fucking someone else.

"Ms. Swan, are you all right?" the detective asks.

"Yes, Mr. Jenks. I appreciate all of this, and don't you worry about me. I will be fine," I told him as I got up and escorted him to the door.

Not two seconds after Mr. Jenks drives away, I pull out my phone to call my cheating bastard of a boyfriend.

"Hey, beautiful, how are you?" he greets in his normally happy, jovial voice.

"Good, Um... question... How long will you be out with your brother?"

"I'm not sure, babe. Why?"

"Oh, no, I was going to visit with my dad and wanted to make sure you didn't worry if I wasn't home when you got back."

"Go babe. If anything, I will stay at Edward's place."

"Sure you will" was on the tip of my tongue and it was so difficult not to let it slip out. But, for the plan that was developing to work, I needed to make sure he didn't suspect that I knew what he was up to. "Okay, babe. Well have fun. I will see you in the morning, or tomorrow afternoon." Little does Emmett McCarthy Cullen know that he will never see my ass ever again.

"Bye, beautiful. Love you," I hung up before I could answer to his empty words.

Then, I went up to the bedroom that we'd shared for the last four years and packed everything that I owned into suit cases and duffel bags that we had in the closet. Then, I hauled it all down to my car in the garage. Once I'd double checked that I'd gotten everything, I went back into the living room where I sat and wrote him a clear letter that let him know exactly what was going on. I left one of the pictures of him going into the hotel room with the strawberry blonde underneath the letter and walked out the door.

*****BHC*****

As soon as I got to Alice's house she swept me up in one of her strong hugs. She may only be five-foot tall bu,t she was strong as hell. Her arms around me let me finally fall apart and cry the way that I needed it.

"Let's get shitfaced. Come on. I got a bottle of Jameson with our names on it."

I let her lead me to the living room, deciding that I would worry about getting my stuff out later. We'd been drinking for an hour, making sure to avoid the big fat elephant that followed me from my house to hers. That was until Alice spoke up. "Okay Belli, tell me what the hell you did. I know that Jenks was at your house hours ago, but you only called me minutes before you came over. So spill, what happened?" I knew she was asking out of concern for me, so I didn't let her over eagerness for information get to me.

"Well, Mr. Jenks came by and showed me the pictures of Emmett with three different women. The strawberry blonde whose picture I left with the 'Fuck off' letter I left him. There was also a skinny as hell golden blonde, and there was the ash blonde that looked like she'd been ridden more than the bull at that damn bar he goes to with Edward." I didn't bother to hide the disgust from my face. The place revolted me, but then again, that was something Emmett and I never quite got about each other. I couldn't understand how he could enjoy going to that damn honky tonk bar, and he couldn't understand how I didn't like it.

"Oh, Belli... I'm so sorry. So did it take you all that time to pack your stuff and get the hell out of that house?" I could see the pity in her eyes and that just infuriated me over the situation even more. Making me feel good that I did what I did.

"No. It took me about an hour to get everything out of the house, write the letter, and get in my car. It's what I did afterward that took me so long." The memory of what I did put a smile on my face. It was a tainted smile because I hurt so much, but it was a smile nonetheless.

Alice looked at me closely, I was sure that she could see the smile that threatened to creep out as I played the memory over and over in my head. "I can see that smile, what did you do?"

I let my mind go back to everything I thought and felt when I drove into the parking lot of _Billy Bob's Texas_, the bar I knew he hung out at almost as if it were his second home. The second I saw his souped up Wrangler, I knew that what I was about to do was going to devastate him and wondered if I could do that to him. I may have been angry, but I still loved the cheating bastard. We'd spent the last five years of lives together; it was hard to just let that go. Then, the memory of those pictures hit me and all I could think about was that he was probably inside trying to find the next blonde on his list of shades.

"Let's see, where do I start? First, I took the spare key of his four-by-four off my key chain to make sure that it was the only thing that got fucked up when I pushed it as hard as I possibly could into the pristine custom paint job, and dragged it down the entire side of that fucking jeep, making sure everyone knew he was a cheating, lying, bastard" Alice howled in laughter at the revelation of the things that I'd started to do to his jeep. She knew as well as I did how important that piece of shit jeep was to him.

"You didn't," she said between peals of laughter.

"Oh, but I did, and that is not the only thing I did. After I keyed his shit up, I used the same key to open the door, took the pocket knife dad always insists we carry, and carved my name into the immaculate leather interior." The alcohol in my system made it hard not to start laughing at the look I'm sure would be on his face the second he sees his car.

"Oh, god, Belli, please tell me, is there more?" my sister was beaming with pride for what I'd just done.

"Yes Alica,t there is more. I took the Louisville slugger that I've had to use when my car over heats to hold the hood up out the trunk, and then went to town breaking both headlights and taillights. I want to see how he's going to drive to his little hotel room without getting pulled over. Well that is all contingent on whether or not he can get the tires replaced, since I slashed all four of his tires." By the time I was done explaining it all, Alice was rolling on the floor laughing and imagining what Emmett's face would look like when he saw what I'd done.

"I'm sure that right now he is in that bar with a bleached blonde. He was probably on the dance floor slow dancing with her to a Kenny Chesney song; I could hear the honky tonk music all the way out in the parking lot. She was probably touching him in all the right places, getting all frisky. As soon as they were done dancing I'm sure he would probably go get her some girlie fruity drink because she probably couldn't put the whiskey down like I can." Hell, even Alice had trouble keeping up with me and we'd been drinking whiskey since practically the womb.

"Belli, don't do this to yourself." Alice knew that I was purposely playing what exactly was going on in my head as if it were a movie real.

"I'm sure Edward has gotten them a pool table by now, and Emmett is behind her with a pool stick showing her how to shoot a combo because we all know how much he loves to show off his fucking skills with a pool cue."

I took a few more sips of my drink, working hard to keep the tears away and let the anger that I felt when I fucked up his car build. It would be so much easier to stay mad than to let the hurt in.

Alice scooted over to my side of the floor; we'd been sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, my back resting against her couch and hers against the solo chair she's had since college. The damn thing clashed with everything in her house, but she refused to part with it. It used to be Jasper's, and after he died in the war, she knew she couldn't let it go. I couldn't begrudge her for wanting to keep something of his. When things got hard, she would always look for comfort in the chair, so for her to come sit next to me was saying something. The problem was that I couldn't accept the comfort she was trying to give. I needed to be angry again.

"Right now she is probably up on that stupid stage singing some white-trash version of Shania Karaoke, or whispering to him that she is drunk, and he's thinking he's going to be able to get lucky with her. I'm sure he is in that bathroom splashing on some of that three dollar polo they keep in there. He probably reeks to high heaven in that cheap shit; really, it's what tipped me off that something was going on in the first place. I'm sure he will find out soon what I did."

I stop pacing when I hear the ring tone on my phone that was set just for him. I quickly grab my phone and silence it. Almost instantly it starts to ring again, once more I send his ass to voice mail. This goes on for about four or five calls before my phone stops. I'm relieved that it didn't take that many calls to get him to understand I don't want to talk to him.

"I guess he saw his car," Alice giggles.

"I would venture to think so." When my phone rings with my dad's number I figure Emmett tried calling over there when I wouldn't answer him.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hey, Bells. Why the hell is Emmett calling me pissed off, asking for you? Did you two have a fight?" The worry in my poor dad's voice makes me feel bad that he is being put in the middle of all this.

"I'm sure he is pissed off because he saw what I did to his car."

"What did you do to his car?"

"Well dad, I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up four wheel drive, carved my name into the leather seats, took a Louisville slugger to both headlights, and slashed a hole into all four tires," I know my dad could hear that my comment was void of any emotion.

"And why may I ask did you do that? I'm a police Chief, Bella, and that is vandalism. I don't know if I could keep you out of jail for doing that. So, give me a good reason to ignore what you just did," my dad said in his no none-sense cop voice.

"Maybe next time he will think before he cheats."

"He WHAT?" I could picture my dad's face turning purple from the furry building at my revelation.

"Oh, don't worry, Daddy. If he cheats again you better believe it won't be on me. I might have just saved the trouble for the next girl. I am at Ali's and will be staying here with her until I can get a new place."

"Well, I'm proud of you baby girl. And if you need somewhere to live, you know you can always come back home to me."

"Thanks, Daddy. I love you" I was just finishing my call with my dad when Alice's phone went off.

"No, you bastard, I don't know where my sister is. And quit trying to find her. She is better off without your ass." Alice quickly hung up, not giving Emmett a chance to say anything else.

"What did Dad say?" Alice asked, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"He said he was proud of me," I answered. "What did Emmett say?"

"Don't worry about that asshole; I made sure he knew he wasn't welcome to call anymore."

When my phone went off with a text message, I decided it was time to turn it off and go to bed. I was ready for this day to be done and over with. Tomorrow would be one of renewal.

_Maybe next time he will think before he cheats_. Was the last thing I thought before I closed my eyes for the night.

**EmPOV**

I walk out of Billy Bob's with Kate on my arm; she was stumbling a little from how drunk she was. She'd had about four of those girlie ass Cherry Cola Cocktails, she was definitely a light weight, nothing like my Bella. As I walk up to my jeep I see that something isn't quite right with it. It's not sitting as high as it normally does. I try not to scream when I notice all four tires have been slashed. Unfortunately, when I see that my headlights have been shattered the scream cannot be contained. "WHAT THE FUCK?"

I forgot all about Kate until she spoke up, "You're married?"

"What? No I'm not married!"

"Then why the fuck does the side of your jeep have lying, cheating, bastard carved into it?"

I quickly ran over to her side of the jeep and sure enough right there in large deep letters, the words were carved into my custom paint job. I quickly opened the car to see that the interior had also been mangled with Bella's name carved into it. I knew my night with Kate was over, I had to figure out what Bella knew and try to get her back. "I'm sorry, Kate, I need to figure out why and who did this to my jeep."

Even before she walked back toward the bar I was calling my brother. "Edward, I need your help. Come on out to my jeep." I didn't give him a chance to respond before I was back on the phone calling Bella. Her phone rang once and then went to voice mail, I hung up and quickly dialed again, I did this a number of more times with the same result each time.

I was pacing back and forth, and by the time Edward was there I was calling Charlie. "Where is your psyco daughter?" I didn't even get much of chance to say anything before he hung up on me.

"Holy shit what happened to your jeep, bro?" Edward asked as soon as he saw I was off the phone. I didn't get a chance to answer before he was saying, "Sweet innocent Bella did this? Holy shit, what did you do?"

I showed him the picture of Lauren and I that Bella left on the dash. It was obvious she knew I'd been with someone else. "You're fucked, bro."

"Tell me about it. That's Lauren, the dirty blonde chick I took to the hotel last week. Bella either hadn't found out about it until tonight or she was sitting on the information until she could get back at me." I ran my hands through my hair hoping to alleviate the stress that was building. How the hell was I going to fix this, I couldn't lose my Bella, she was the only good thing that happened in my life. _ Then why cheat on her?_ My subconscious asks.

"Well bro, with the way this jeep is I doubt you have any chance of fixing this shit. Let me call Rosie and have her tow it to her shop." My brother offered to have his girl, the tall voluptuous, curvy blonde auto mechanic come get my car. It was her fault I was in this predicament, the first time I saw her and the no nonsense attitude she carried had me hard at the jump. I guess I'd just been trying to get her out of my system. I know I will never act on my desire for her, but if I could just get one of these barfly bimbos to get her out of my system I could go back to my Bella and live happy. Guess that is no longer an option either.

"Come on, Rosie is on her way to pick up your car. Let me take you home."

I walked with him to his car all the while I kept trying to call Bella but her phone only went to voicemail.

I tried Alice hoping she might know where her sister was as soon as I go in the car. "Hey Alice, I'm trying to find your sister, any idea where she can be?"

The words that followed let me know that she knew exactly where Bella was and that I would not be able to talk to her anytime soon.

I figured my last option was to send her a text,** Baby I'm sorry. I deserved what you did. I am the biggest idiot in the world, but I promise I will never do that again. Please baby forgive me. I love you with all my heart your Emmybear.**

"You going to be okay alone tonight, bro?" Edward asked as soon as he pulled up to my drive way. The house was pitch dark and any hope I had that she would still be inside waiting to hit me or go off on me was lost.

I looked at my brother and just nodded. I had to take the time to figure out how I was going to grovel for forgiveness and I wouldn't be able to do that with Edward there.

I walked up the stairs only to find another picture taped to the door with the comment "I hope she was worth it" underneath. It was a picture of Irina and me from the night that I got so drunk I woke up naked on her couch. I don't know if we did anything that night, all I know is that was the first time I'd openly and knowingly lied to Bella about where I was. That was also the first time I'd met Rosalie and drank to forget the way she made my body react. If Bella had this picture it meant she'd doubted me for a while and had me followed. Sadly she now had physical proof that I was weak and unfaithful.

I walked straight into our bedroom hoping to see something that belonged to her. Something that would give me hope that there was still a chance for us. Those thoughts were dashed the second I saw that she'd even taken her feminine products that I hated. At that moment I would do anything to see them sitting under the sink.

With shoulders slumped, I walked back downstairs to drown myself in the bottle of Chivas that I had in the cabinets. After grabbing a cup and the bottle, I plopped myself on the couch. Then I saw it. The envelope that I just knew would end it all for me.

The instant I picked up the envelope I saw a third picture. I didn't need to see the picture to see who it was. Tanya was the strawberry blonde I took to the hotel only two nights ago. That had to be the nail that sealed my relationship coffin. That picture told me what I knew would be in the letter.

With a heavy sigh I opened it up.

_I hope that those three women were worth losing the last five years of our lives together. I gave you everything, Emmett, my heart, my soul, my mind, my body… hell, I gave you my whole life. I worked my ass off for the last three years so that you could concentrate on school and not have to worry about anything. I drove around in a piece of shit car that keeps over heating for what, so you can drive your souped up little jeep, because that is what you love the most, and I as an idiot wanted to make you happy. And how is it you repay me? _

_By lying, cheating, and disrespecting our relationship. You slapped me by fucking not one, but three different bitches. I really hope you find what you are looking for in them because you will never, and I mean NEVER find it with me. Don't look for me. Don't call me. Don't even fucking think of me. You lost those privileges the second you stuck your dick inside another hole. _

_I will have my sister figure out with you what you want to do about the house. I don't know if you want to buy me out, or just put it for sale. Do NOT try to contact me about it. Deal with Alice, she will get the paperwork to me and I will sign it. All I know is that I don't want to have anything to do with you again._

_Good Bye, Emmett,_

_Bella._

I groaned and let my head it the back of the couch. I knew I lost her for good. Bella is a stubborn woman and once she's made up her mind there wasn't any way to change it. I picked up the bottle and started to drink straight out of it. Fuck the cup, it wasn't going to do anything but make me take longer to drown in the liquor.

The last thought I had before I passed out drunk was... "If I ever get lucky to find another amazing woman like Bella again, I will never cheat again."

*****BHC*****

**AN: **I originally only planned on this being an OS, but then the hubs made a comment… and well the plot bunny reproduced… So there will be more chapters… I don't know how many, but know there will be more. As always TCBS is my priority. But I will work on this. I promise… I have been really good and have been able to finish the next chapter of TBCS early, so that's off with the PR and I have started chapter 2 of Santa Baby for those of you reading that story too.

Now don't forget to let me know what you think… I will take the good, the bad, and the ugly.


	2. Chapter 2 Foolish games

**Link to Banner: . ****  
><strong>**Banner Designer: One of Eddie's Girls**

**Title: Before He Cheats – Chapter Two- Foolish Games**  
><strong>Author: One of Eddie's Girls<strong>  
><strong>Rating: M for language<strong>  
><strong>Warnings: Deals with cheating<strong>  
><strong>Beta: Ginnie (VGMay)<strong>  
><strong>Summary: Bella did a number on her boyfriend's car after she found him cheating. What else could go on in her life months later? Will she and Emmett ever have a chance at happily ever after?<strong>

***BHC/FG***

It was the second month in a row that I'd been sitting on the small bed in Alice's guest room. In all that time, I'd done nothing but cry. I know that I was the one that walked out, but could anyone really blame me? What would anyone else do if they were handed pictures of their boyfriend having sex with not just one blonde, but three. Seeing that not only hurt, but shattered my self-confidence. Over the weeks that passed, I got over the initial anger caused by the cheating itself and now wallowed in feelings of not being good enough.

Why wasn't I pretty enough to keep him from straying? Had I done something to turn him away? When did he stop liking my stupid, limp, lifeless brown locks? He always used to say that he loved them, that they were one of the features about me he enjoyed the most. When did it stop being enough?

I must've been crying loudly because Alice burst into the room.

"Belli, please... I hate seeing all this hurt in your eyes. I wish there was something I could say or do to take it all away, just like you did when I lost my Jasper." Alice's fiancé was killed by an IED only weeks before his tour was about over. They were supposed to get married less than six months after that. To this day, my sister hasn't been able to get over it. She's tried to date, but it's been too hard for her to let go. I could relate with wanting to fix things that were out of her control.

"Thanks Alicat, but for some reason I just can't stop crying." I couldn't understand why I was so emotional all the time. I know that breaking up with someone you love wholeheartedly is hard, but I shouldn't still be crying over everything two months later.

"I also know that you must be so sick and tired of having my depressed ass around this house. So, I was looking over a few of the apartment ads last night online and I think I might have found something. It's close to work and not overly expensive. I'm just going to need furniture. God knows I don't want anything from the house."

"Why the hell not? That furniture is more yours than his. You paid for most of it while he spent most of his money on that stupid, damn truck of his." A small smile crept across her face when she mentioned the truck.

I did a number on that thing the night I got the pictures from the Private Investigator I'd hired to uncover his infidelity.

"Don't laugh, it's not funny. Even dad said it was wrong. Sure, I did it out of hurt and anger, but it was still wrong." I fought back the sob that wanted to escape when I thought how much he must've hurt when he saw his car all keyed up, broken headlights, slashed tires and interior. Needing to change the subject I went back to what we were originally talking about, my moving out. "Besides, I don't know what he's been doing on that furniture since I left. God only knows how many more of his blonde whores he's fucked on them—especially now that I am not there to stop him."

"If he looked the way he did the last time I went over there to discuss the house situation, I highly doubt he's even left it much less brought someone over."

I shook my head not wanting to know anything more. If I did, I would start crying again for sure. I still loved him deeply.

"Anyway, let's get out of this house and check out that apartment. Once we know you have it, we can worry about furniture."

Agreeing with my sister, I got up and went to shower. Getting out of her house to find something for myself would be nice. Other than for work, I hadn't really left her room and I knew it was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and go on with my life.

Once we'd had a good look at the apartment, we agreed that the price was within my budget and that I could even go with the two-bedroom instead of the one. Alice's reasoning was that I could turn the second room into an office slash guest room, and considering the price difference was only an extra fifty dollars a month, I agreed. On the drive back to her house, all Alice could talk about was what furniture would look good where.

She even suggested we go to a storage facility to get what I would need. She's been watching a lot that Storage Wars show on A&E lately, and swears she can get the whole apartment furnished for less than five hundred bucks. I wasn't going to argue with her, it was best to let her find out that most of those shows are fake on her own, and that what we would find was not going be anything close to what I really needed.

After we got back to Alice's house I quickly began to pack up everything since I'd be able to move in right away. We decided we would call her friend Felix, who had a truck, to give us a hand. My sister decided she wanted to gift me the bedroom set that I'd been sleeping in. She was sick of it and wanted to get something different, and I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I would take it happily.

By Monday morning, I was settled in my apartment waiting on the furniture delivery people, along with the cable company and an appliance technician who was going to install my new washer and dryer. Alice thought I was a little crazy buying a new set when she could easily go to the house and demand the ones from there. She knew there was no way that he'd need them; he didn't have a domestic bone in his body, she said. I just preferred to leave anything that may remind me of our time together right where I'd left it. I didn't want anything that we shared, and I meant nothing.

Later that night, I sat in my newly furnished apartment making a list of things I would need from the grocery store. I made a mental walkthrough of each room, writing down what I would need to get room by room. I was on to the bathroom when it hit me. I still had a brand new box of tampons. I'd picked the box up only the week before I'd left the house. It should've already been about half way finished in two months, but I knew it sat there unopened right under the sink. I picked up my cell phone, opening the calendar application where I kept track of my period.

"Shit! It's been over two months since I've gotten it. Please, Dear Lord, don't let me be pregnant, Please just let it be that the stress has kept it away. Please, please, please," I prayed over and over.

I quickly called my sister. There was no way I had the courage to find out the results of the test by myself, besides I wanted her to buy it for me, since I was too chicken to go to the store. She agreed to be over in a half an hour with a test in hand. The entire time I sat waiting, I was freaking out. _Oh, God this is not happening. I can NOT have a baby. I'm not old enough. I'd make a horrible mother, I'm too irresponsible, my ex-boyfriend is a lying miserable cheat who doesn't deserve to have a child with me! _Deep down I knew I would do it, just the thought of the possibility of being a single parent was overwhelming. I know my dad did it, with twin girls no less, but he didn't have a choice in the matter. My mom passed away giving birth to Alice and I.

Would I be able to have a baby and raise it without Emmett? Or worse, have to share custody with a man I no longer trusted, and couldn't even look at?

A bottle of water, and three positive pregnancy tests later, I paced nervously while talking to Alice about my options.

"I can't do this Alicat. I can't raise a child alone. I'm not dad."

"Who says you have to raise that baby alone? You have me, dad, and Emmett better be prepared to step up and take responsibility for the child he helped create."

Bile rose up at the thought of having to speak to him and tell him I was having his child.

"You are going to tell him. If not, I will, Isabella," Alice threatened.

****BHC/FG*****

_Who the hell would be out in this weather?_

The knock on the door caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting Alice for another few hours, but figured she might've left the mall early considering she knew I went my first appointment with the doctor today. Looking out the peephole, I was completely shocked by who I saw standing drenched on the other side of it.

"Bella, open this door," Emmett yelled from the other side of the door. "Please, I need to know what is going on. Alice came by the house to tell me once more what a fuck up I was, then told me I need to come talk to you."

I was going to kill my sister. Who did she think she was getting in the middle of this? Why the hell didn't it occur to me that she would give me less than a week to handle this without interfering. I should've known better.

Left with no other choice, I opened up the door.

"Hello, Emmett. Come on in." I ushered him toward to the living room.

"Nice place you have here."

"Thank you. Please, sit down."

We sat stiffly for a few minutes before either of us spoke.

"Listen..."

"I'm so, so..."

We both stopped. Emmett gestured for me to go ahead.

"There isn't much for me to say, Emmett. You fucked up. You really hurt me, and there's just no getting over that kind of soul shattering damage. It's done, it's over, and there's no use beating a dead horse."

I barely managed to get it all out before my throat closed up on me. The pain was still too fresh, and my emotions too wild to really deal with him at the moment. But I had no other choice now.

_Damn Alice for forcing this conversation before I was emotionally ready_.

"I know, Bella. I did things that I wish I could take back. No, things I wish I never did. It cost me the thing that I love the most. I was so stupid and I've spent the last almost three months just trying to figure out what the hell I was thinking to do that to you, the best thing that's ever happened to me."

As he spoke I took the time to really look at him. He looked like he hadn't slept in a long time. There was also the distinct difference in his clothes. I never did his laundry, but he always took it somewhere to have it pressed and he never wore anything other than Polos or button-downs and nice jeans. Now he was dressed in a t-shirt that looked like he'd been wearing it for a few days and worn jeans. I was a bit surprised by what I saw.

Swallowing down the pain I was feeling, I refused to let him see me cry.

"I really don't care how you feel now. You did what you did, and it hurt me more than I can really say. But it's neither here nor there, Alice—as wrong as she was for telling you to come and see me—was right. There is something more important that we need to discuss."

"The house, I know. I don't want the house if you're not there with me to share it. We bought it together for our future, for any child we would have in the future to enjoy, and if you're not there anymore there is no point in me to keeping it. I know you wanted me to talk to Alice about it, but I'm sorry I can't do that. It's _our_ house, not hers and mine, yours and mine."

"Keep the house. You're going to need it." Okay here it goes it's now or never. Time to tell him about the baby. "I'm pregnant."

He sat there just staring at me for a few minutes, not saying anything what so ever. I was beginning to worry that I'd shocked him so badly he was stuck on stupid. I started to get up to get the sonogram picture that the doctor had given me earlier, but he stopped me. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." I once again got up to grab the picture to show him proof that I was indeed with child. "Doctor confirmed it this morning."

"Come home. Marry me. Please?"

"What? No! We are over, Emmett. I told you I can't just forgive or forget what you did, but I would never keep you from your child."

Did he really think that I would just pass this off so easily? Did he think that a baby would wipe away his cheating? I still loved him but no way was this baby going to change things for me.

"The only reason I am even telling you about this right now is because Alice forced my hand. I wanted to wait a little longer, and you better believe that I wouldn't have told you in person. I would've called you. The hurt is still too fresh."

"But I want our child to grow up with both his or her parents, like I did." There was that sadness in his eyes again that caused my throat to close up and the tears to sting the back of my eyes.

"Who says that this baby won't be happy or have both its parents? Just because I won't come back or marry you doesn't mean we can't provide it with everything."

He was up and pacing now. "I know we can provide them with anything and everything, but Bella, together we can provide it with so much more."

"Emmett Cullen, I am the product of a single parent family and I promise you my dad made sure that Alice and I didn't lack for anything."

How dare he suggest that a single parent would provide a child with less than two parents would.

"Fuck," he cursed loudly. I was just about to chastise him for his language, it was something he would need to be more careful about in the future, when he continued. "I wasn't suggesting that Chief Swan wasn't the best dad or that Alice and you were missing anything for not having a mom, I was just trying to say that having another person around to help you would make things easier. You know what? Fuck it, never mind. I don't know what the fuck I'm saying. I'm just flustered and making things worse. I miss you. I love you. I want to be there for you, and I want to be around at three in the morning when you have a sudden craving for pickles and ice cream, or to rub your feet when they are sore and tired. I want to be here for all of it. I want to be there the second you go into labor and I want to get up in the middle of the night to feed the baby. I want to be a full-time dad to my child. Can you understand that?"

"Yes, I get it. Were this four months ago, or nine months ago, or a year ago even, I would be more than happy to agree with you, but everything is different now and I can't just let it go. You're welcome to come to the doctor's appointments with me, and to help with the baby after he or she is born, but please don't ask me to come back to you, because I can't.

"Is there any hope that things can change? That I can make it up to you? I will do anything, and I mean _anything_, to have you back; to have you and the baby with me." There was sincerity in his eyes, but he broke my trust in him and I didn't think it is possible to get it back.

"I don't know, Em, and it's too much for me to think about right now. Not to mention the doctor told me that I need to keep the stress to a minimum so I think it's time for you to go." I got up and made my way to the door indicating that I really did want him to leave.

With a slump of his shoulders and a heavy sigh Emmett made his way out the door and back into the rain.

"I will call you in a couple of days to see how you're feeling, but if you need anything in the meantime please call me I will rush right over."

I nodded my head in acknowledgement and said goodbye.

***BHC/FG***

EmPOV

I was going to be a dad. Bella was pregnant with my baby. I still couldn't believe it. I was so fucking excited, but at the same time, sad that Bella wouldn't come home. I know I fucked up and I've spent the last two months trying to do anything and everything so that when I did talk to Bella again, she would let me make it up to her.

Of course, I didn't get a chance to tell her about the job I got at the hospital that was going to help me finish paying for school. Nor did I get to tell her that I'd even told Edward about my reaction to Rosalie and why I'd cheated on Bella. After kicking my ass for lusting after his girl and hurting Bella, he agreed to talk to Rosalie about helping me find a buyer for the truck and hooking me up with two cars that worked. I was going to surprise Bella with the eight year old Lexus SUV that I'd bought her, and then tell her that Rose would sell her old 1980 Celica for her.

Those plans were all well and good, but now, with the baby, I had to make sure I found even more ways to prove to Bella that I was worth giving a second chance to. I was completely serious when I asked her to marry me. I've missed her these past few months that she was away from me; I haven't had a good night sleep since. The only way to turn my brain off long enough to sleep is to actually drink until I pass out, but I hate the way I feel in the morning. Besides, drinking isn't going to solve my problems. It isn't going to bring Bella back into my life. Actually with the baby coming now, it would make things worse.

Pulling up to the house, I saw Alice's car parked out front.

"I take it you went to see my sister," she stated before I'd even gotten out of my own car.

"Yeah, I saw her. I'm going to be a dad. She's having my baby." I know I sounded like a teenage girl squealing about meeting her favorite boy-band member, but I really didn't give a damn. I was happy damn it and no one could take that away from me.

"I know that, asshole. That is the only reason I sent you to my sister's place, and you better be ready to do everything she needs you to do or I will kick your ass."

"Put the claws away, Alice. I already told her that I will do anything that she wants me to. I even asked her to move back home and marry me, but that offer was quickly thrown out the window. I didn't get a chance to tell her about all the changes I've made, so please don't say anything about them yet. But the first thing I should have said was thank you. I know going behind Bella's back to help me, opens you up to a whole lot of hell, but I promise you I won't make you regret it."

"You better not. Now let me have Demetri's number. I just came from talking to my therapist, Peter, and he told me that it's time to let Jasper go and get back into the world. I know it won't be easy, but at least Demetri knows how it feels to have lost someone you love."

I'd introduced Bella and Alice to my best friend a few months after his wife Heidi had passed. He has only gone out a few times since, but I know that he is single and would really like Alice.

I handed over the number and set Alice on her way. I had things to take care of, and my Bella to win back.

***BHC/ FG***

AN: A huge thank you to Ginnie for all her help in beta'ing this mess, and to the lovely ladies who've spent so much time putting this compilation together. I haven't decided if the story will stay Em/B or if she will never forgive him and just raise the baby together. I guess time will tell. Thank you for your wonderful donations weather it was monetary, creative or just supporting the admins. It all helps. Much love OOEG.


	3. Chapter 3 When I was your man

**Disclaimer: I don't own... we all know who does.**

**AN: Sorry for the long wait on this, but I've had a lot happen since I started writing this. This is sans pre-reader or beta. So please forgive every and all errors. Enjoy.**

**EmPOV**

I sat at the bar just looking out at all the people around me dancing. I'd never really been someone who liked to dance and certainly never did dance with Bella, though, now I know I should've. I'd danced with those three bitches that I cheated on Bella with, but only because I was hoping to get into their pants. I was an idiot. My girl loved to dance and I never took her out, now I had to sit at that bar and watch her dance with another man. He held her close, the little baby bump -my baby- not being much of an issue it seems.

When Demitri invited me out for a drink as a thank you for giving Alice his number, I readily accepted, needing to get out of the house. Never did we think that we would run into Bella on a date, and not just any date, but one with Felix.

"Dude, I swear I didn't know he even knew Bella much less think he would ask her out."

"It's... okay, Dem. I can't exactly say anything about it. We aren't together anymore, and I have no one to blame but myself." I knew the pain was clear in my voice, but the truth needed to be told and I needed to accept it. I did this to myself; I caused Bella to walk away from my life and opened up the chance of her finding someone else.

Even though through the last three months she's let me go with her to her doctor's appointments, ultrasounds and anything else baby related, she hasn't let me talk to her about getting back together. She's made it clear that the damage I caused to our relationship also caused damage to her self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. The only other thing she has conceded on is taking the Lexus. It kills me though each and every day we aren't together. I miss her, I want her so much and I love her with all that I am, but I fucked up and now I have to live with the consequences.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Demitri asked. He saw that I hadn't taken my eyes off of the dancing couple.

"Nah. I'll live." I shrugged hoping for nonchalance, but I don't think I was very successful with it, if Dem's face said anything.

I'd turned back to look at the dance floor after a quick glance at his face, I came to an emptiness where Bella and Felix had just been. I looked around for a few minutes trying to find where they could've gone, when I heard it.

"Vodka and Redbull and a bottle of water, please," requested Bella's sweet voice.

"What kind of date makes the lady order and pay?" the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Emmett? Are you following me? You have no right! This is the first time I've come out. Felix is okay with going out with someone pregnant with another man's child. Someone actually wants me after you carelessly threw me away," Bella ranted, the tears slowly pooling under her eyes.

"Bella... baby... please... I wasn't trying to upset you... I'm sorry... my mouth spoke before my brain. Please. I'm sorry. Don't cry beautiful." I raised my hand to stroke the tears from her cheeks. "I hate seeing you cry it breaks my heart. Besides it's not good for the baby for you to be upset," I pleaded with her. The stress is never good for the baby, and I didn't want to hurt either of them, my mouth had spoken before my filter had a chance to kick in.

Just then two things happened simultaneously, Felix joined us and the bartender placed the drinks on the bartop. I watched as Felix picked up the water bottle opening it and handing it to Bella before picking up his own drink.

"Emmett. Demitri," he greeted with a nod.

It took a lot out of me not to growl at him when he wrapped his arms around my girl. _But she's not your girl anymore, you lost her, _my not so nice conscience reminded me. Felix, then turned to her and asked if we'd upset her.

Bella took a moment to look over his shoulders at me before answering, "No, it's just pregnancy hormones." Then, she kissed him, and not just any kiss, but a passionate -leave your cock hard- kind of kiss. The kind she used to give me before we made love.

I don't know if I made a face, move, or sound but suddenly Dem was dragging me out the door of the bar. "Come on, I will take you home."

"Stop at the liquor store on Fifth," I demanded. There was no way I was going to survive this night if I didn't get as plastered drunk as I could.

*****BHC*****

I'd lost count on how many shot's I'd drank. Demitri stuck around for a bit after we got back to the house, so I knew that even though there was only half a bottle of Johnny Walker left, I hadn't drunk it all myself. At least I didn't think, but who knows. All I did know was that I couldn't stop thinking of Bella and what she could be doing at that moment. I pictured them back in her apartment, Felix's hands all over her; him touching what was once mine; making love to her; hearing the sounds she makes when she is falling over the precipice; clenching around him. Those thoughts were enough to have me running to the bathroom to puke.

I woke up the next morning on the floor in the bathroom, the pounding in my head making me glad I wasn't far from the toilet, but I knew I needed to rehydrate. I forced the need to upchuck again down; I had a shift at the hospital today and needed to get ready. I'd deal with my thoughts and regrets later. I had to find a way to get Bella back and that wasn't going to happen if I didn't have a job.

I was going to get my girl back; there was no doubt about that.

*****BHC*****

**BPOV**

"I'm sorry, Felix," I apologized, I felt bad for using him like that.

"You're still in love with him aren't you?" Even though he'd posed it as a question, I could tell it was supposed to be more like a statement. He didn't need my confirmation on it; he could read it all over my face.

"I'm-" He cut me off before I could apologize once more.

"No, don't. I understand and I think you should try to get back with him. If not for your heart's sake, then for your baby's happiness."

Seeing as our evening was now officially unsalvageable, Felix, drove me home, where he gave me a sweet goodbye kiss and wished me luck.

The days that followed I wondered how I was going to fix things between Emmett and me. Since seeing me with Felix at the club, he'd become distant, like he no longer cared what happened between us. He was still very attentive when it involved the baby, but I could feel a coldness coming from him.

I guess I'd finally gotten what I'd been asking for since I found out about his cheating, the only problem with that is that I didn't want it anymore. I wanted to get back what we once had. I know I'd said I wouldn't ever get back with him again, but that was before. Before the baby. Before I realized I would never feel for anyone as strongly as I do for him.

We were in my Lexus on our way to a doctor's appointment when I realized I'd never thanked him for my car. It would be a great opportunity to get him out to dinner and maybe I can get past this coldness he had towards me.

"Um... Em..?"

"Yeah?" he asked, I could hear the trepidation of what I had to say in his tone.

"I never did thank you for the car. Uh, I was hoping you'd let me take you out to dinner or something." God I sounded like an idiot. Could I stutter and waiver anymore? I was glad for the task of driving so I didn't have to look at him directly. To be honest I was afraid I would see disgust and rejection in his eyes.

"I don't think that's such a great idea." I worked hard to keep the tears at bay. I knew that it was a strong possibility that would be his answer. _Why should he want to go anywhere not baby related with me;_ _especially after I've rejected him and his attempts at getting back together for months. _Before I could really start sulking and feeling sorry for myself he continued. "Besides I don't think your boyfriend would like that very much."

"What boyfriend?" I asked.

"Felix," he said his name with such distaste and venom. It made me a little giddy that he was so jealous.

"Emmett," I turned and glanced at him quickly. "I don't have a boyfriend. Felix and I aren't a couple and the only person I am interested in is sitting next to me at the moment," I explained.

"Really?" He sounded skeptical but at the same time hopeful.

I'd just parked the car in the parking lot of the medical center, but hadn't made a move to get out yet. I wanted to see if the new information helped change his mind about going to dinner with me.

"So what do you say about dinner?"

"I say yes, only if you let me buy." His smile was so wide I thought it would split his face.

"But, this is supposed to be my thank you to you for the car," I argued.

"You going to dinner and getting to have you on my arm once again is thank you enough."

As we waited for the doctor we made plans for dinner and talked a little more about rebuilding our relationship. With orders for my eighteenth week ultrasound, Emmett and I left to make that appointment at the hospital, and then headed to dinner.

*****BHC*****

The weeks that followed were reminiscent of when we first started dating. The romance and attention that Emmett put towards rebuilding our relationship was the best we've had in years. It made me happy to see that we weren't completely lost and that things could once again go back to our happiness. My love for Emmett grew bigger than I thought possible and I was beginning to trust him once more. We'd made plans for me to move back to the house -thankfully my lease was month to month- and we were working on setting things up for the arrival of the baby.

Emmett was acting a little strange, which naturally put me on edge, when we arrived at the hospital for my ultrasound. When I asked him what was wrong, he said he was nervous about finding out what the baby was. We'd been flip-flopping back and forth on whether we wanted to know or not, but I knew deep down I knew that I'd go crazy if I didn't find out. Also, I had to think about what Alice would do to us if we didn't find out what she needed to shop for.

Thanks to Emmett's connections -since he works at the hospital- I was able to get in right away. Emmett seemed to know the tech that was going to be taking care of us, because they started to chat as soon as we walked in.

"Ms. Swan, I'm going to step out for a few minutes and let you get undressed from the waist down. The doctor requested a vaginal ultrasound as well as the standard," the tech explained.

Emmett said he was going to out with the tech as well, considering we hadn't been intimate since before the split, I greatly appreciated his chivalry. A few minutes later both Emmett and the tech returned. The tech ran the tests he needed to with the transvaginal wand first then asked if we wanted to know the sex of the baby.

"Yes!" I answered excitedly.

"Very well, but I will need to turn the monitor towards me, so that you don't get a sneak peak." He exchanged a look with Emmett, but didn't say anything else.

A few minutes later the blue heated goop was placed on my belly and the wand was being moved from one side of my belly to the next. I'd see the tech stop moving it around and typing something every once in a while and resuming. I remember from the previous ultrasound that they'd given me at the doctor's office the first time I was there that the tech was most likely taking measurements.

"Okay, here we go. Are you guys ready to see what you're having?"

I nodded eager to see. I felt Emmett's hand tighten in mine, but I couldn't take my eyes away from where the monitor would be shortly.

"I want you both to close your eyes and not open them until I count to three," the tech instructed. I was getting a little irritated as I was so anxious to find out what we were having. Reluctantly -knowing it would take longer if I didn't do it- I closed my eyes.

"One... Two... Three... open."

When my eyes opened and focused on the screen I couldn't believe what I saw.

Right there in white letters against the grainy black image of my baby's face was the words:

**Mommy, Daddy and I would like to know if you will marry us. Love the two men in your life**

My eyes full of tears, quickly moved to Emmett, where he was kneeling and a beautiful, platinum, Cathedral style, prong solitaire engagement ring between his fingers.

Somehow I was able to get the "Yes" past the lump in my throat.

*****BHC*****

And they lived happily ever after... THE END

**AN: And we've reached the end of this story... I hope you all liked it... it ended much better than what my emo, ass wanted to write the other night... **

**I will be finishing all my stories shortly... I will then focus on finishing an OF that I started awhile back and writing a short OF. I wish to present them both to Decedant Publishing. If that is a successful venture please know that I will take down all my FF... Not that I plan on p2p, but I will not leave that option out. **

**I also have an OS I am working on for Fandom4OK... if you can find it in your hearts to donate to that cause many displaced ppl will appreciate it. The residents of that state have been through hell in the last month and anything you can do to help would go a long way. **

**With that I say thank you for all the support you've given this little story.**


End file.
